Specific Phobia Treatment

What Are Phobias?

A phobia is an intense, irrational, persistent fear of an object, place, situation, feeling, or animal. Phobias are a type of anxiety disorder and are significantly more intense than a normal fear of something external.

People with specific phobias have a higher risk of panic attacks and intense anxiety when exposed to their phobia.

Types of Phobias

Common phobias include:

• Arachnophobia—a fear of spiders.
• Ophidiophobia—a fear of snakes.
• Acrophobia—a fear of heights.
• Agoraphobia—a fear of open or crowded spaces.
• Cynophobia—a fear of dogs.
• Astraphobia—a fear of thunderstorms.
• Trypanophobia—a fear of needles or injections.
• Social phobia (social anxiety disorder)—a fear of social situations.
• Mysophobia—a fear of germs or contamination.
• Aerophobia—a fear of flying.

These phobias can vary in severity, but all involve an intense and irrational fear of a specific thing, situation, or animal.

Signs and Symptoms of Specific Phobias

No matter what specific phobia you have, you may experience the following phobia symptoms:

• Experiencing intense fear, anxiety, and panic when exposed to or just thinking about your phobia.
• Understanding your fear is not reasonable, but being unable to control it.
• Having anxiety that worsens as the situation or object gets closer.
• Doing everything possible to avoid or face the situation or object with extreme fear.
• Having trouble performing daily tasks due to your fear.
• Experiencing intense physical reactions and feelings (e.g., sweating, rapid heartbeat, tight chest, difficulty breathing, etc.).

The licensed therapists at Beach House can help you identify the cause of your phobia, manage your symptoms, and develop effective coping mechanisms with evidence-based specific phobia treatment.

Causes and Risk Factors

The causes and risk factors of specific phobias may include:

Causes

• A traumatic experience involving the situation or object.
• Learned behavior from someone else’s fear.
• An imbalance in certain brain chemicals.

Risk Factors

• Gender (women are more likely to develop phobias than men).
• Family history of phobias or anxiety disorders.
• Pre-existing anxiety disorders or depression
• Sensitivity to stress.

If you or a loved one struggle with a specific phobia that impacts your daily life, consult your healthcare provider for a medical evaluation and assessment. Specific phobias are treatable with therapy, medication, or a combination of both.

How Are Phobias Diagnosed?

Specific phobias are diagnosed using three methods:

• Clinical review and symptom assessment
  Your healthcare provider will ask you about your specific fears, the symptoms you experience related to them, and how much they impact your quality of life.
• Diagnostic Criteria
  Your healthcare provider or mental health professional will likely use criteria outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) book to help diagnose your specific phobia. These include:
  • Intense, persistent fear of a specific object or situation lasting six or more months.
  • A fear that is out of proportion to the actual danger.
  • The feared object or situation is actively avoided or endured with intense anxiety.
  • The phobia causes significant distress or impairment in daily activities.

These methods will help your healthcare provider or mental health professional identify the most effective specific phobia treatment option for your unique needs.

How to Treat Phobias

The licensed therapists at Beach House offer several evidence-based treatments and relaxation techniques to help you overcome your specific phobia, such as:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), including gradual exposure to your feared object, animal, or situation.
• Medications (e.g., antidepressants or anti-anxiety) to help manage severe phobias.
• Deep breathing and mindfulness practices to help manage anxiety during exposure.

Our team is skilled in diagnosing and treating several types of anxiety disorders and is specially trained to help you overcome your fears.

We understand how crippling phobias are—we are ready to help you rebuild your confidence and overcome fears with a combination of proven treatment modalities.

Get Help with Phobias Today

Beach House Center for Recovery offers several mental health treatment programs to help you find healing, hope, and a path to a brighter tomorrow.

Contact us today to get started.